The Locked House
by forbiddenist
Summary: Zero is an artist who recently moved into a family house in a little countryside area. At night, he hears the most heart wrenching piano melody coming from what they called "the Locked House", a place where everyone believes is haunted. Unbeta-ed.
1. Chapter 1

The Locked House

1.

_Zero is an artist who recently moved into a family house in a little countryside area. In the middle of the night, he hears the most heart wrenching piano tunes coming from what they called "the locked house", a place where everyone believes is haunted. But what, or who, he finds there is more than just a ghost.  
_

Disclaimer: Vampire Knight does not belong to be in any way, it belongs to Matsuri Hino. I'm just borrowing her characters for a bit.

Warnings: Lack of faith, mystery and Yaoi (in later chapters). AU. Unbeta-ed. All mistakes are my own.

A/N: Hello! I've always wanted to write something like this, and now that I finally have, I hope you enjoy it. Yes, I am _still_ drowning in schoolwork, but it seemed I wouldn't be able to focus until I got this out of my system. For the kind people who follow my work, don't worry, I have not abandoned the rest of my stories, it's just taking a while to write them. –Gets kicked- Drop a review please! I would be very, very happy. I apologize for this chapter being so short.

-forbiddenist

* * *

Kaname had no concept of time.

He had been locked in this room for a very long time, he knew, but because he could only look out of the little window in the door into a dusty hallway, he didn't know exactly how long it had been. He had hoped that his people would come and free him; that they were looking for him.

Perhaps they had forgotten him.

His amber gaze fell on the piano that sat in the corner, dust gathering on its sleek surface. The only parts free of the marks of time were the keys - still relatively clean, however yellowed and slightly crooked.

* * *

"So is that all?"  
The man in the suit acceded, smiling.  
"I'm happy that the Kiryuu family is moving back here; I thought you wouldn't come back after your brother's tragic death. You used to visit only once a year, what made you want to live here?"  
Zero sighed, walking over to the window to peer out.

It was getting darker, the trees were now simply black silhouettes against the gray-green landscape.

"This is where I remember him most."

He turned to the man in the suit again, offering a forced smile, and walking him to the door.

Kiryuu Zero was awkward around people.

He didn't particularly like being around them, nor did he like talking to them. He preferred to be alone, in a place where he could actually hear himself think. The same very reason he purchased a house in the middle of seemingly nowhere. His previous studio was in a loft in the heart of the city, where it was noisy with traffic and people and shops. His brother had lived in this place before him, because he was sickly and he needed the fresh air. He relatively liked it in the heart of the city, because he could watch the people and the way they behaved, be immersed in the atmosphere - but he decided he needed a change of pace anyway.

When Ichiru died his heart was crushed.

He had been one of the last to know. Despite being twins, Zero and Ichiru were as different as night and day. Zero was strong and healthy, artistic and easily distracted. Ichiru was weak and sickly, calculative and focused. The complemented each other. They made up for each other's weaknesses. Losing Ichiru was a great blow to Zero's being.

It felt like a part of him was gone.

They told him that Ichiru didn't want him to know how bad the illness had been, only allowing him to drop by once a year, never receiving him when he dropped by unannounced.

He had sunk into self-blame for a while after his sibling's death, cursing himself for not having noticed earlier, for not being there when his twin drew his last breath.

He unpacked the box with his easel and canvases, then dug around a bit for his paints. He didn't bother turning on the lights, it was still light enough to see as he arranged his materials. He had made sure to buy the place already furnished, so he wouldn't need to go through the hassle of furniture shopping. He didn't like wasting time.

Wordlessly, he mixed a violet shade, lightly laying it onto his canvas, before applying a thin layer of gray. He liked working with color, he liked how they could make the viewer feel emotions that didn't need to be spoken.

His art was his way of talking.

He was about to mix in a darker shade of gray when his ears picked up something that he didn't think he would hear.

Well, at least not here.

Soft, melancholic piano music drifted in from the open window, and Zero was taken aback.  
He didn't remember hearing music when he came over, but then again he was never allowed to stay the night – so perhaps this was a neighbor that he hadn't been informed about? He ran through the possibilities in his mind.  
No, it was impossible, the only building close to this place was but one.

The Locked House.

But it was inexplicable. The house hadn't been inhabited for near fifty years. From what he heard, all the doors are locked, and the windows nailed shut. Certainly, there were the rumors that the place was haunted- by right the place was on land owned by his family and he had never been told more than he needed to know about the place, his family had kept him as far away from it as possible when they were visiting the place as children, before the land was taken over by Ichiru - but Zero didn't believe in such nonsensical things.

No proof, no faith.

He was a practical person, and he attributed the music to someone who had probably snuck into the old house and made it his haven or something, but the piano music was really getting on his nerves. Sure, whatever that reached his ears was absolutely flawless and beautiful save for a few un-tuned keys, but he had come here for quiet, and he wanted to get it.

For tonight though, he decided, he would let the matter slide, because the music was really quite enjoyable despite the sad melody the piece held. He supposed it matched how he was feeling now, so he resumed in his movements, mixing the paint at his own pace, his foot unconsciously tapping to the sound of the piano.

* * *

Kaname wanted to die.

He wished he was mortal, who could perish so easily whenever they chose. He envied their fragility. If he had been human, he would have already died of starvation, or gone mad from what they called "cabin fever". He would have killed himself.

But no, he was still here.

Alone.  
In the dark. In a locked room that no one seemed to have the key to. A room that no one remembered. Where were the hunters? Had they forgotten him too?  
He sighed.

Was this how he would spend eternity? Forgotten, alone, nothing more than a ghost?

He bowed his head in mock prayer.

No God answered him so long ago, why would they answer him now?

* * *

The piano music stopped.

Zero's brush paused as well, and he looked toasted the window, a small frown on his lips.  
He hated being half-assed, and that was obviously what the player was, stopping in the middle of a bridge like that! Zero huffed, turning back to his canvas.  
A dark, somber forest had appeared under his hand, blue and violet hues and shades accompanied the cool grays, what little light that shone in from the canopy was rendered a sad white tinted with yellow. Just the slightest tint.  
Zero stretched, yawning a little and leaning backward to peer at the clock on the wall.  
It was already 1? He hadn't realized he spent so much time on the painting, and somewhere at the back of his mind he found it totally acceptable that the piano had stopped now, and he covered his paints and made his way up the stairs for a bath and bed.

The heater was working fine, and so was the sink and everything else. He emerged from the bathroom in a fluffy white bathrobe, toweling his hair dry.  
He could see the silhouette of the locked house from his bedroom, and he stood by the window just staring for a little while before he headed over to the cupboard to get his pajamas.

He had decided to use the room his brother used.

It still smelt like him, a strong scent of lavender, so nostalgic. His brother would always smell like lavender, always unhappy that Zero smelt like lilacs – 'weren't we supposed to be twins?' – he would complain. A small smile touched the side of Zero's lips as he imagined his brother lying in the queen sized bed, smirking and beckoning to him to hurry to bed like he always did when they were children.

He threw himself onto the bed quite unceremoniously, taking a deep breath, savoring the scent.

Oh god, he missed him so much.

* * *

The locked house was always dark. He didn't know why, because if there was someone who constantly snuck in, wouldn't there be at least some form of light? He had been hearing the piano music around the same time every night, and it had somewhat become part of his life in his new home.

Albeit, it had only been near four days.

He was pretty much done unpacking everything, all that was left was getting used to the place.

He knew the place well enough, having been here once every year since Ichiru had moved in, but the place just seemed so empty. He had been simply a visitor then, but he was a resident now, and the change was painfully new.

Zero stretched, yawning as he turned back to the sizzling pan in front of him, pushing the bacon strips around a bit more. The sunny side up was already on a plate next to the stove, with a little bun that he had bought at the nearest grocery store. He looked out the window – the sun was happily shining down on the earth, illuminating the greenery with a vibrancy that was absolutely stunning. He smiled to himself, sniffling a little. Damned morning sinus.

It was 10 in the morning, and he didn't feel like painting very much today, so he decided he would go outside and do some sketches. It was better than sitting around at home anyway.

He set out at 1230, after breakfast and a shower, in a white cap and polo T-shirt with three-quarter jeans, sketchbook in hand. His pencils and charcoal was strapped to his hip, and he happily made his way into the greenery to the side of his home, towards the locked house.

He had decided during his shower that today would be a good day to just explore.

He found himself immersed in the wonderful ambiance of nature, in which he found his heart was at peace and completely content. He stopped by a small clearing, where he laid down a mat and sat there with his sketchbook propped on his knee, pencil busily scratching on the white paper, lilac eyes taking in everything that came to his attention.

He moved from his spot in an hour and a half, having done enough preparatory sketches to satisfy himself, he journeyed onward, sketching random flowers and plants that caught his eye. He was drawing a particular frog when he heard something coming from the far left, and he turned to look, but when he turned back he cursed softly, as the frog had already hopped on its merry way, denying him a complete sketch.

He sighed in defeat, pocketing his pencil safely, he decided to investigate the source of the noise.

He hadn't realized, but he had reached the side of the Locked House.

It was quiet again, the sky was starting to darken as Zero walked along the security fence that had "No Entry – Private Property" signs, which Zero stubbornly ignored – this was _his_ home, he had the right to wander where he pleased. He reached the gate of the metal fencing, briefly wondering why this place was so well guarded. He managed to find the key amongst the bunch that Ichiru had left him (he had brought it out with him), although it had taken a good ten minutes of standing there and _trying each key_, he managed to get the gate open.

Once he was in the fence and less than two meters from the porch of the house, he took a good look around.

There didn't seem to be any sign of break in.

So who was playing the piano at night?

He journeyed onto the porch – the door seemed completely normal, with a heavy lock. The door frame, however, was engraved with writing that Zero had never seen in his life; and Zero stared at it in wonder as he opened the door, which was surprisingly, unlocked.

The interior of the house was dusty and rundown, with no light whatsoever, making it hard to see. What little light from the late afternoon that crept in from the sealed windows didn't help very much with visibility, and Zero nearly tripped over a few random things strewn on the floor.

The layout of the house was not unlike the average house, the only thing strange was that it was so dark, and that everything that was in the house seemed to have been left there in a hurry.

_Rustle._

Zero jumped; he hadn't been expecting to hear anything, and he looked around in a fluster to try to locate the sound, dismissing it as his own imagination two seconds later.

_Rustle. Shuffle._

It was coming from the basement.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Locked House**

_Zero jumped; he hadn't been expecting to hear anything, and he looked around in a fluster to try to locate the sound, dismissing it as his own imagination two seconds later._

_Rustle. Shuffle._

_It was coming from the basement._

* * *

A thousand possibilities were running through Zero's head about what the sound could be, and he slowly inched his way to the door that obviously lead down to the basement.

Again, he saw that mysterious scrawl on the doorframe, this time with a crest that resembled a rose, something he identified as his family crest, in the middle of the door, carved into the wood.

He managed to open the door without difficulty, and he descended the stairs, steeling himself mentally.

_No proof, no faith. _

The rustling sounded again, accompanied by what sounded like the shuffling of shoes on cement.

The hallway that greeted him looked like a jail.

It was dark, and Zero looked around for a light switch, which he found on the far right, covered in layers of spider webs and dust. He fumbled a little to switch it on, and when the light filled the hallway, he saw a narrow corridor that led to a single door, with a tiny barred window.

The rustling and shuffling had stopped.

Zero slowly approached the metal door, carved with the same insignia as the door to the basement, with the same engravings on the doorframe.

The place was decrepit.

It was in a worse state than the rest of the house, and as he reached the door he thought he saw something move in the darkness.  
He stopped in front of the door, peering into the darkness behind the caged window in the door, unintentionally holding his breath.

He heard more rustling.  
It was approaching the door.

Zero was tempted to run, he really was.

A pair of glowing vermillion irises met lilac ones.

In that split second, Zero did what he believed any sane, normal person would do.

He turn-tailed and bolted.

* * *

He was panting by the time he reached the main house, and he leaned onto the side of the building to catch his breath.

…at least he didn't scream like a girl.

He realized he was still clutching his chest in an attempt to remain calm, and he quickly corrected himself before making his way inside. He was confused – two weeks ago when he visited the house to finalize the transfer of ownership, he would never have dreamed that such a thing was living on his compound.

What was Ichiru keeping?

He reached into his pocket and fingered one of the only other things besides the house that Ichiru left him – a key.

It was a copper bronze, and it was slightly rusted, chipped in some places and badly scratched, but Zero could still make out his family crest on the key handle. He had never seen such a key in his life, but he figured that a key had to open _something_, but as to what that "something" was, Zero had no clue.

* * *

That night he didn't hear any piano music.

He painted in silence, and it disturbed him greatly that he had actually seen for himself who – no, _what_ – was in the basement of the locked house; the player of that beautiful music.

He was mixing his paint with more force than necessary the more he thought about it.

Whatever he saw down there definitely wasn't human.

He accidentally bent the bristles of his brush.

Zero cursed, setting down his palette he ran a hand through his silver locks, more in frustration than anything else.

He had originally come here for some peace, to be "with" his brother, his "_family_", and all he finds is some demonic thing locked in the basement of the branch house? It was absurd.

Perhaps it was just a trick that his eyes played on him.

Yes, that must have been it.

* * *

Kaname peered out into the now brightly lit hallway.

_Someone remembered him._

Someone found him.

Someone _came._

…did the boy just drop in to check on whether he was still alive? Certainly, he had been asleep for a while – although he wasn't sure exactly _how long_, but he had been roused a nigh two weeks ago.

It had been ages since he's seen a human, let alone a hunter – that it would induce bloodlust wasn't surprising. Yet why did the stranger bolt as such? Was he not a hunter? He certainly possessed the looks of a member of the Kiryuu clan –

Kaname pondered for a while.

He had always found members of the Kiryuu clan to be exceptionally exotic.

Silver hair, fair skin, violet eyes. They were hardly human themselves, yet they called his people monsters. Indeed, his kind was physically appealing as a biological requirement, in order to easily attain their means of survival, but the physical attributes of this breed of hunter was not unlike his kind. But despite their outward appearances, they were _still_ hunters, and hunters hunted Vampires. However, Kaname had strongly believed in pacifism. In fact, he _still did_. He would not drink from humans, but apparently the hunters that didn't believe him and captured him, and locked him up here, in some silly attempt to milk him of information about a conspiracy that didn't exist. He looked towards the slightly open door. It didn't seem locked.

He found it to be morbidly and frustratingly amusing.

Here he was, a powerful being, _royalty_ amongst his kind, locked in a place like this, famished, tired, and annoyed. He couldn't escape – not with the charms about the room, he was so sick of waiting he wanted to just destroy everything he could come in contact with. He had fallen asleep for _so long _here_, and when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed. _He had nourished himself by drinking _animal blood_ all the time he was awake, the carcasses of rats littered the room, and he felt so undignified – feeding from beasts was one of the most desperate things a Vampire of his stature could do. He hated this. He hated being a Vampire. He hated being a Pureblood. He hated the hunters. He hated the Kiryuu.

Right now, he hated _everything_.

The shards of wood on the floor from what remained of the chair and table crackled, before being flung to the other side of the room by some invisible force with such velocity it had splintered. The piano shook from the invisible forces that whirled around the room.

Kaname sighed.

He was falling into one of his tantrums again.

He knew it wasn't smart, but he just let his emotions run wild.

* * *

Zero jumped as he heard muffled sounds coming from the Locked House.

He couldn't place the sounds exactly, but what he heard was akin to wood being thrown around in what seemed like _anger_, and Zero felt a shudder run through his spine.

He took a deep breath, telling himself that everything could be explained rationally, he mustered all his bravery and grabbed his jacket and a torchlight, ready to find out what exactly was going on on his property.

He managed to make it to the security fence of the locked house in one piece, despite having tripped over a tree root and scraping his ankle. It hurt, but from what he could tell there wasn't any blood – his ankle just felt extremely raw. He paused outside the gate, steadying himself against the fence as he tried to rub the pain away even just a little bit; his violet gaze fell on the Locked House.

He was tempted to leave again.

But no, he wasn't scared of something like this! Whoever this person in the basement was, he was going to find out.

The door creaked open for the second time that day, and the violent sounds downstairs ceased almost immediately.

Zero steadied his breathing, telling himself that he was being silly, he shouldn't be scared of _demons_; _they didn't_ _exist_. The guy was probably a human being who was accidentally locked in when he broke in and was exploring the place, who was coincidentally wearing those contact lenses that made your eyes glow!

Zero nodded to himself silently – yes, that _had_ to be the case.

But how long has that guy been stuck there?

He was now standing in front of the open door that led to the basement. The hallway appeared more barren than it did in the afternoon, bathed in cold white light, the dust and webs did nothing to increase the homeliness of the place.

Zero took a deep breath, steeling himself _again_.

He knew he would never admit it, but he was petrified.

In fact, he was so much so he was frozen on the third step down.

"_Don't be afraid._"

He wasn't _afraid_, how could he be when these things didn't –

Zero jumped.

…_Was he just spoken to_?

Was the person in the locked room speaking to him?

"_Yes_, I'm speaking to you, and _no_, I'm _not _reading your mind."

Zero's mind was amuck with emotion.

Should he run? Should he suck it up and reply? Should he just stay put and pretend he didn't hear anything?

"Come closer, Kiryuu."

At that Zero froze completely.

"…How do you know my name?"

He heard a soft chuckle, before that slightly hoarse voice spoke again.

"It's obvious you're a Kiryuu, isn't it?"

Zero had conquered the rest of the steps without thought, heading to the locked door with a purpose.

"What do you mean? How do you know about my family?"

The artist peered into the darkness, looking for those glowing red eyes, but unable to find them. He heard the man snort, before a soft shuffling.

"Of course I know about your family. It's hard not to when you're all such persistent buggers."

Something at the back of Zero's mind took note that the man's voice had a silky quality to it despite it being so hoarse – almost like he hadn't spoken in ages.

A soft growl rumbled from the back of Zero's throat.

"…Don't insult my family."

And then he saw them.

Two scarlet eyes in the darkness, like glowing embers, staring back at him.

"…You're _bleeding_."

Those eyes seemed to burn a stronger vermillion.

Zero took an unconscious step back, staring at the window in the door incredulously.

"No I'm not!"

The man in the locked room was silent for a while, almost as if contemplating what to say.

"…._Your ankle_."

Zero's eyes immediately shot downward, his heart fluttering slightly in panic as he tried to roll up his pant leg to regard his ankle.

It was a tiny wound that was barely visible was on the far right of his ankle. It was a wound that he would have missed had he not been looking. And true enough, there was blood on the inside of his pants, but it was so little it appeared nothing more than a mosquito bite.

"How did you…know?"

Zero didn't know what to think – how did this man know he had such a small wound, even when he himself didn't realize it?

The man in the room chuckled, his voice now turning malevolent.

"_Are you mocking me, Kiryuu?_"

The red eyes were getting closer to the barred window in the door now, and Zero could roughly make out the bottom of the man's face.

"_Your family_ should know better than anyone what I am. After all, that's the reason I'm stuck here in this hell-hole in the first place."

Zero had unknowingly held his breath as the man came into plain view.

A perfectly sculpted face caked with dirt and grime, with long brown hair that cascaded in waves. He looked emaciated. However, the man looked beautiful even in such a disheveled state. His clothing was crumpled and dirty; yet he exuded an elegance that had Zero in awe.

What unnerved him was _those eyes_.

"Let me out."

Zero's lilac eyes were locked with brightly glowing scarlet.

"_Let me out_."

The artist remained silent for a while, watching the man behind the door cautiously.

"Why are you locked in there in the first place?"

Those eerily beautiful eyes widened for a second, before narrowing to a sneer.

"_Do you _really _come to mock me_?"

The man's words were tainted with venom and hardly concealed anger, the sound of wood splintering reached Zero's ears, and he unconsciously took a step backward.

That deep chocolaty voice spoke again.

"_Let me out_."

Zero stood his ground.

"…What do I get in return for letting you out?"

The man behind the door laughed; a cynical, bordering on maniacal laugh, complete void of mirth whatsoever.

"…I'll spare your wretched life. Now open the door."

Zero scoffed.

"That's no way to speak to your captor now, is it."

The scarlet orbs narrowed, but the man behind he door did not speak.

Zero's heart calmed a little bit – as long as he was in there he couldn't harm him. As long as that ugly metal door separated them everything would be fine.

Zero took a shaky step forward.

"What can you do for me that would make me want to set you free?"

The man behind the door was silent, but the hatred he felt through that vermillion gaze was enough to make shivers run down his spine. Then the gaze turned away.

"You're not a hunter."

Zero's eyes widened slightly, a look of confusion flashing across his fine features.

"What's…a _hunter_?"

The glowing eyes snapped back to him again, startling the fair-haired boy.

"…You don't know?"

The man behind the door didn't need Zero to reply, the terribly confused look on his face was answer enough.

A smirk graced his face as he regarded the boy before him.

The child was filled with curiosity, wonder, confusion, as was Kaname himself. Why was this boy here? Why did he not know about his lineage? Was this child the reason he woke from his sleep?

Kaname leaned against the wall beside the door, crimson eyes watching the boy as he continued trying to decide why he didn't know about anything that was leaving Kaname's mouth.

Kaname's mocking smile widened.

"Let me out," he began, pressing himself against the door, ignoring the slight stinging from the seals, his eyes bright and calculating.

"…and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for continuing to read this fic! Please drop a review if you have time.  
Writing this is terribly stressful. I'm deathly afraid that it'll disappoint you, and I sincerely hope it hasn't! Forgive me if it has. :( Once again, I'm sorry that I take _years_ to upload one chapter, but I'm drowning in school work and tests and I have an exam coming up and so many commitments that I'm afraid I'm going a little crazy. D: Alas, this story is not BetAed, and probably never will be, so all mistakes and inconsistencies are result of my severe lack of sleep. I apologise. _


	3. Chapter 3

The locked house  
3

_"Let me out," he began, pressing himself against the door, ignoring the slight stinging from the seals, his eyes bright and calculating._

_"…and I'll tell you everything you want to know."_

* * *

"No,"  
The set of glowing eyes widened in surprise, but recovered quickly.  
"Don't you want to know?"  
Lilac eyes defiantly stared back at him, and Kaname felt a pleasant tingle run down his spine.  
"You're obviously locked here for a reason, and until I'm sure you're harmless, I won't be stupid enough to open this door."  
Kaname cursed softly, annoyance and frustration evident in his elegant face.  
"I've been trapped here for ages! For a crime that I would never and _will _never commit! You and your _foolish_ family-"  
"I told you not to insult my family!"  
"-locked me up here like an animal and you're expecting me to just roll over and bark like a good dog?"  
Kaname's voice dripped venom, and his words were harsh and vicious.  
Zero had taken a step back, slightly intimidated by the intense hatred that came from behind the door.  
"I'm sorry."

Kaname was stunned.  
He hadn't expected a Kiryuu to apologize to him, but he gathered himself and turned away, trying to ignore the footsteps that were going back through the hallway and up the stairs.

And he was alone again.

* * *

Again, there was no piano music that night; in fact there was no sound whatsoever. Zero quietly mixed his paint, his brush gracefully rendering the texture of that metal door at the end of that dark hallway.  
It scares him, but it intrigued him all the same.  
What was that man doing there? Why did he speak like that?  
So many questions were running through his head, and he wanted answers. But he couldn't trust the man in the basement, his gut told him that he was dangerous, and could and probably would kill him.

But then, Zero's curiosity was never one of his good points.

The next day found him inside the 'library' – it comprised of the basement of the main house, with towering bookshelves that were crammed next to each other along the wall, with a large, heavy wooden table in the middle of it with several chairs about. The shelves were very organized, Zero noted, as he walked about the place, everything was arranged in alphabetical order.

Zero was determined to find out what the brunet was talking about, and in order to do that, he needed to do research, and what better place to do research than the library?

He walked about the bookshelves a while more, picking out a tome that looked vaguely interesting, he seated himself at the table, and brushed the thin layer of dust off of the leather-bound cover.

He regarded the contents with interested eyes, appreciating the quality of the paper and the ink – this book was built to last.

_Vampire Hierarchy_

_As we all know, our enemy is divided into groups; an established hierarchy not indifferent to our own. These "ranks", if we may call them that, have been made known to hunters as the Vampire's "Pyramid of Power". Below I list the "ranks" that have ever been recorded._

Zero paused in his reading, shifting in his chair a little. The book was like those Fairy Encyclopedias he saw at the bookshop the other day, only much _older_. He didn't know Ichiru was into this kind of fiction - His brother didn't seem the sort who liked _any_ kind of fiction, to be honest. Then again, Ichiru didn't seem the type to like much of anything. His violet eyes continued reading.

_A. Pureblood_

_These are the Vampires that dwell at the top of the Pyramid. They come of the oldest of the Cursed Bloodlines. They are treated as royalty among their kind and are held in extremely high regard. They are fiercely protected by the rest of their kind because their numbers are few, but they are extremely dangerous. They blend in with humans, making it hard for one to distinguish them in a crowd. However, their unearthly aesthetic appearances are a trait that cannot be denied. They seldom show themselves, instead allowing others to hunt for them. Their intellects and outward appearances are extremely dangerous. Should one encounter such an existence, approach with extreme caution._

_B. Noble_

_Vampires in this rank serve as "Second-in-Commands" to the above. They come of the branch families of the Cursed Bloodlines, and they swear complete subservience to the Purebloods, and keep the "Lower Ranks" in line. They take it upon themselves to "protect the Purebloods" and serve them. Not unlike the Purebloods, their aesthetic appearances are also extremely pleasant, and they are able to blend in with normal human beings. However, their attack power can rival or even surpass a hunter. Approach with caution. They often show themselves in the place of a Pureblood, but such cases are rare. Nobles often possess elemental abilities. _

A shiver ran down his spine. Somehow, he knew these terms. He heard the brunet in the basement mention it, but at that point in time he was simply confused – he didn't understand, but now everything was, as unbelievable as it seemed, starting to make sense.

_E. The Untouchables_

_The lowest class in the hierarchy, they are little more than mindless monsters that solely exist to feed on human blood. They are Level Ds (see above) that have lost touch with their human senses. Although weak when encountered alone, these beasts tend to hunt in packs, or at least pairs. When encountered, be prepared to engage more than one opponent. _

His family was a line of Vampire hunters.

Zero locked himself in the library for the next three days, pouring over the tomes, trying to find out as much about his heritage as he could.

This was unbelievable – it all seemed like a strange dream. From what _he _knew, his family was a line of _Accountants_! This – he flipped the page and scanned it, something about Hunter Charms that guarded against Ice attacks – _this _was absolutely _ridiculous_.

So the man in the basement _really_ wasn't _human_? It was too much for Zero to take in at the moment. Did Ichiru know? Why didn't anyone tell him? Why was that man locked there in the first place? How powerful was that person – _thing_?

The young man let out a strangled growl, the frustration taking its toll on him.

_Why didn't he know _anything_?_

* * *

Zero closed his car door with a little more force than necessary. He had spent the whole day painting in an attempt to sort out his confused emotions, to little avail, and had completely forgotten to drop by the convenience store to get some groceries. So here he was, in the deserted car park next to the convenience store that no one really goes to, shivering and in a very bad mood.

He gathered his jacket closer to him, before breaking out into a jog to the glass doors.

_Rustle._

Zero paused, turning back to look behind him, lilac eyes searching

The bushes and trees lining the car park were veiled in darkness, and Zero couldn't make out much, so he just dismissed it and made his way into the store.

The cashier had flashed him a bored look that transformed into one of attention, that Zero chose to ignore in favor of looking for his favourite brand of milk and grabbing a few snacks. Zero was quite used to people treating him like this – the open-mouthed staring and the coy smiles and not so subtle flirting. It was one of the reasons why he preferred to stay alone, and although he was more social than Ichiru, he wasn't exactly a butterfly.

He glared at the cashier, taking his purchases; he hurriedly made his way out of

the store.

_Rustle._

This time he was facing the bushes, and as much as he tried to disbelieve it, as he was staring into the darkness, two glowing red eyes were staring right back at him.

_What-_

He hardly had time to finish that thought when something came flying in his direction, and it took all of his athleticism to dodge it. He scrambled to his feet, running for his car and ignoring the stinging on his arm and elbow.

What he didn't expect was that _other_ thing that was sitting on the hood of his car.

That thing that was staring at him.

Zero was terrified. The creature didn't look human – its skin was deathly pale, almost gray, with eyes like flames. Filthy claws were there in place of fingers, and Zero could sense the feral way the thing regarded him.

He heard soft growling from behind him.

_The lowest class in the hierarchy, they are little more than mindless monsters that solely exist to feed on human blood._

Zero tried to calm himself, he couldn't think when he was in such a state of panic.

_Although weak when encountered alone, these beasts tend to hunt in packs, or at least pairs. When encountered, be prepared to engage more than one opponent. _

This had to be some bad joke.

Lilac eyes searched for something he could use as a weapon, but found nothing.

_Desperate times called for desperate measures._

He had to use his fists.

It all happened in the span of a minute. He whirled around, shifting his groceries to his other arm; he punched the monster behind him, using momentum to elbow it to the ground, with added force for good measure. At this point, the monster on the hood had launched itself at him, and Zero sidestepped, avoiding it barely; he sprinted to his car, unlocked it, thrown his groceries in and drove, not without trying to make the monsters road kill on his way out.

On the way back he was thankful his parents had forced him to train in combat, and hoped that the cashier was alright.

He reached home in record time, eyes darting around in haste to check whether those things had followed him. Satisfied that there was no pack of blood thirsty monsters after his mortality, he dropped his groceries onto the dining table and immediately set out again.

He had to find out what was going on.

He made haste to the locked house.

* * *

Kaname's ears perked as he heard movement from upstairs.

Had the boy come back? His dark gaze settled on the foot of the staircase, and surely enough, those familiar shoes belonging to that familiar form descended the steps.

"Changed your mind, have you?" Kaname didn't know why, but he felt like he was treading on thin ice as the boy continued to walk towards the door of his cell. The fair-haired boy didn't answer, but kept his head down.

He reached the little metal grill, and Kaname found himself staring at the face of his captor, though his eyes were still hidden in the bad lighting.

It was obvious that something had happened; Kaname could sense the adrenaline in the boy, the quickened breathing and racing heart rate.  
Kaname's whole body was tense as he waited for _something_ to happen, but there was almost complete silence as the boy just stood there.

"…What's wrong?" Kaname was annoyed. He wanted to know what happened, and he wanted to know _now._

"Ki-"

"I _saw _them."

Kaname continued to stare at the boy.

" …'_saw them'_?" The Vampire repeated, slightly confused.

"…Those 'Level Es', or whatever you call them."

The brunet's eyes widened a fraction. He ran over the possible situation in his head.

"Did you kill them?"

The fair-haired boy shot him a look of disbelief.

"That's _illegal -_"

"Those things aren't _human_ any longer, foolish child! Your naïve human laws do not apply to their kind. Now _did you kill them_?"

The boy gave him an incredulous look, before looking away and sighing.

"No, but I-"

"Let me out, Kiryuu. I _will_."

The fair haired boy shot a glare at the man in the cell, slightly annoyed at being cut off, the adrenaline still running in his veins.

"What?"

The brunet moved closer to the door, his eyes glowing a dim vermillion.

"You heard me, boy. I'll take care of them. Because from the looks of things, _you_ don't seem to be able to."

The younger man ignored the stab at his ego, instead drawing closer to the door. He was so close he was practically leaning against it, doing his best to look the Kaname in the eye.

"Don't tell me what to do, dammit! I want you to tell me what's going on!"

Silence seized both parties, and was only broken when the brunet started chuckling.

"So the deal is on then? You'll let me out?"

The boy maintained his silence, his eyes searching for any hint of suspicious intent in Kaname's eyes. When he seemed relatively assured of his personal safety, he nodded slowly.

Kaname smiled. It was a strange expression, one that he hadn't used in a while. The boy was so trusting it was almost touching.

"I'll let you out," the boy repeated, his gaze holding Kaname's steadily, fearlessly.

_The boy was definitely a Kiryuu._

"But in exchange," the Vampire's ears perked at that, and his beautiful eyes narrowed, a small frown on his face.

"You will not harm me and you'll tell me exactly why you're here, what my family has been doing behind my back and what those things were."

Kaname internalized the conditions, nodding slowly.

"And in the event that I should come into danger…"

Kaname watched the boy expectantly, idly appreciating how the light reflected on his silver hair.

"You have to protect me."


	4. Chapter 4

The locked house

4.

"_But in exchange," the Vampire's ears perked at that, and his beautiful eyes narrowed, a small frown on his face._

"_You will not harm me and you'll tell me exactly why you're here, what my family has been doing behind my back and what those things were."_

_Kaname internalized the conditions, nodding slowly. _

"_And in the event that I should come into danger…"_

_Kaname watched the boy expectantly, idly appreciating how the light reflected on his silver hair._

"_You have to protect me."_

* * *

Kaname ran the conditions the boy presented in his brain once over slowly.

He had to credit the boy for being cautious enough to secure his personal safety, something of which he hadn't thought the boy would be smart enough to do.

Needless to say, Kaname was impressed. Perhaps Kiryuu blood ran deeper than just appearances.

The boy was watching him with an intensity that both disturbed and amused the Vampire; those lilac eyes expressed such weariness and confusion that Kaname almost felt sorry for him. The Vampire idly wondered what other feelings those pretty eyes could translate. But first things were first.

"I agree to your conditions, Kiryuu."

The boy seemed to release a long-held breath, lowering his head slightly and breaking eye contact.

"My name is Zero. Stop calling me by my family name."

The boy leveled his gaze with Kaname once more, a small look of insecurity on his face.

"You are safe from me, _Zero_. I do not go back on my word."

The boy grunted, as if finally setting his resolve, he reached into his pocket and drew out a set of keys, slender fingers closing on the oldest and rustiest looking one, his shaking hand led it to the rustic lock at the metal door.

Kaname didn't know how to describe his feelings as he heard the metal cling as the boy inserted the key.

_He was finally going to be free_.

He felt wide-awake; as if the every cell in his body was at full attention as the key turned. He could hear every breath the boy took, every beat of his heart. He hadn't felt so alive in ages.

_He was going to be free_.

But then everything stopped there.

Kaname watched with badly concealed irritation as the artist struggled with the lock.

"Why is the door not opening?" Kaname couldn't hide his anger as the boy continued to fiddle with the lock and key.

"It…It looks like this isn't the key after all."

Kaname let out a muffled roar, slamming his hands against the door; ignoring the burning sensation that ate at his palms, startling the younger man on the other side.

"_What do you mean it's not the key? Are you playing with me?_"

He felt his rage surge, his aura hardly suppressed, sending wooden splinters and dust flying.

He had waited so long, so long, and when he was finally promised freedom his captor could not deliver? Was this a ruse? A ploy to break his already weakened spirit? Was the boy going to start laughing in his face at his desperate misery?

"I- I have to find the key." The boy appeared shaken by his sudden almost violent outburst, taking a few steps back and looking like it's taking all of his self-control not to start running.

"I'm really sorry. I thought that was the key."

Zero couldn't bring himself to look at the man in the cell, his violet gaze flicking everywhere but the direction of the brunet. The young man was in a state of panic – he didn't know what to do.

If the key that Ichiru left him wasn't to the cell, then what did it open? It didn't make sense that his brother would leave this man in his charge and not give him a key, did it? Perhaps he had figured that Zero would do something stupid enough to let the Vampire out, and Ichiru wanted to make sure that he didn't change anything? But it still didn't answer the massive mystery of the key.

He realized that the whole corrider had fallen silent for a while now, and that the Vampire was watching him with that indignant wine red gaze.

"I'm really very sorry."

Zero didn't know what else he could say. He was so sure that that key would open the door, he was absolutely positive. And yet now here he stood, awkward and in a state of guilt and confusion. Was this Ichiru's way of telling him that it wasn't his place to decide whether the Vampire behind that door should to walk free?

He was having a headache thinking about it, and before he knew it, he had fled from the locked house back to his own living room to mull over what to do.

Where could he go from here? It seemed more and more like a dead end as he thought about it. With things as they were now, the brunet would not speak to him, much less divulge information about his family and their profession. He had himself to blame though – he had been foolish enough to promise the man something that was not his to give.

The fair-haired man sighed, running a hand through his silver locks as he plopped down on his sofa, stretching himself over it with his hand on the low armrest and just staring at the ceiling.

Needless to say, he felt _horrible – _like he was a con man. He had cruelly given the Vampire a bright ray of hope only to take it away, albeit unintentionally.

He groaned, covering his face with his arm, before sitting up with renewed determination and deciding to look around the house for a clue as to where the real key might be.

Zero wasn't the kind of person to just let something like this just slide – he was a man of his word. When he makes a promise, he would do anything in his power to fulfill it. It was just part of who he was. He decided to start in his room – going through all the little nooks and crannies that seemed probably to hide a key. It took him a good half-hour to finally conclude that the key wasn't in the room he was in, and move on.

It was two hours before he finally finished the top floor. He went down the stairs a little annoyed, cursing Ichiru and his meticulous nature under his breath. He was about to look in the cupboard nearest the stairs when something outside caught his attention.

_Rustle._

Zero's ears perked, and he moved closer to the glass doors leading to the garden.

He thought he saw something move, and almost immediately, violet eyes darkened and started to search for a potential weapon.

_They followed him_.

He took a deep breath, picking up a stocker by the fireplace, he pressed himself against the wall, slowing his breathing deliberately to both calm himself down and make it easier for him to listen-

_Rattle._

_Rattle, rattle._

The potential intruders were at the door. They were trying the lock.

_Rattle_.

Zero's panicked gaze snapped to the window, where a shadow was obviously outside, _trying to get in_.

He wanted to run. No, he _needed_ to run. There was no way he could take on those creatures on his own. He slowly inched towards the door. He needed to get to his car. He needed to _leave._

But then he heard the sound of a piano in the distance.

Zero's mind raced to understand. Did the brunet know what was happening?

The rattling stopped, and Zero almost allowed himself to let go of the breath he was holding.

_RATTLE, RATTLE, RATTLE!_

_BANG! BANG! RATTLE!_

The intruders' efforts were renewed at the sound of the piano music. Why? What was going on? Was the music aggravating them?

His heart was racing, his clouded mind thinking of his options. The thick layer of silence on top of the haunting piano music that met his ears unnerved him to no end. Had they given up? Had they left? Were they looking for another way in?

He didn't know what to do. It was downright frightening.

_He had to see the vampire. He would know what to do._

Zero raised his stoker, quietly moving to the back door.

_The vampire knew how to handle these creatures. He could help him._

He took a deep breath, hearing distant rattling at the living room windows.

He opened the door and _ran._

* * *

He didn't know whether he had ever run faster in his life. His legs just kept going forward, one after the other, on the route to the locked house – the darkness and his panic making navigation more difficult than it should have been. He could hear something cry out behind him, but he didn't look back – he _couldn't_ look back – he just relied on muscle memory to navigate the area he had only just gotten used to.

…And sure enough, he found himself dashing into the Locked House in a flurry of confusion and alarm. He practically flew down the stairs, his breathing and heartbeat almost deafening in his ears.

He didn't notice when the piano had stopped.

"Come here Kiryuu."

The vampire's tone was strict, allowing no argument. Zero now found himself staring straight into that little window and into wine red eyes.

"W-what do I do?" the younger man's voice was shaking, something that Kaname took note of instantly.

Increased heart rate, labored breathing, trembling; the boy was genuinely scared.

Kaname didn't know whether to laugh or panic as well. He never thought he'd live to see a member of the Kiryuu family so afraid of Level Es, but this very member was the only hope he had of escaping this goddamn place.

"Calm down, Kiryuu. You're a hunter. The blood that runs through your veins is one of the oldest there is. Get a hold of yourself! You should not be this affected by the mere presence of a couple of Level Es!"

Zero found himself speechless. He would later look back and realize how ironic it was that a _Vampire_ was giving a hunter a pep talk, but he currently could not care less.

Kaname spoke again.

"Did you close the door behind you?"

Zero shook his head, his frazzled nerves completely turning to ice at the annoyed look Kaname shot him.

"There are hunter charms carved into the doors of the place to prevent intruders of Vampire origin. Close the doors _now._"

Zero immediately made a run for the door, but before he even reached the first step of the staircase, he heard soft laughter drift in like an icy wind.

"_I've finally found you…_"

Zero retreated, pressing himself against the door, with Kaname on the other side, telling him to stay calm.

The intruder was slowly coming down the stairs, and Zero realized that he was completely and utterly trapped.

"You need to open the door."

Zero turned back to look at Kaname, his eyes wide.

"I- I can't!"

"Try! You have to get me out! I cannot protect you from here! Try every key you have!"

Zero started rummaging his pockets for his bundle of keys, trying to keep his hands steady as the Level E entered the hallway, with its partner trailing behind it.

"_You smelled absolutely divine, boy. We couldn't let you go._"

Zero managed to get the key that was most likely to fit into the keyhole, the very same key that Ichiru left him, and he tried turning it with all his strength.

"I-it's turning!"

There was a click, and both the artist and the vampire braced themselves for what they believed was going to happen.

"_What are you doing there trying to open that door? You can't escape from us, boy._"

The Level D was now two steps away from him, and Zero's whole body tensed and he froze, not understanding why the vampire in the cell still hadn't come to his aid.

"The door is still not open!"

The statement sounded like the very end of the world to Zero's ears.

"…_what?_"

He felt a hand close onto his neck a second too late.

"Nnh!"

He was pushed against the door, the Level E's nails cutting into the tender skin of the back of his neck.

It was painful. So painful it felt numb. He couldn't breathe, the grip on his windpipe was slowly getting tighter and tighter.

He was quite sure he was bleeding, he could feel the wood behind him wet and cold.

"_The scent of your blood is just delicious…_"

And then, there was _nothing_.

"_Well done, Kiryuu._"

He felt the door behind him give way, and strong arms support his shoulders and waist.

His vision was blurry, and he could barely make out the face of the brunet figure that leaned over him.

"Leave the rest to me."

Then he blacked out.

* * *

Zero woke to the ceiling of his bedroom.

He sat up, all the things that happened before he passed out surging back into his mind. He touched the back of his neck, where the claws of the creature sank in, only to find the skin there raw and tender.

_Was it a dream? _

It took him a while to realize that his shower was running when he heard it stop.

It took all of his self-control not to yell when a completely naked brunet stepped into his room dripping wet.

"Ah, you're awake."

Zero couldn't bring himself to function properly as his eyes greedily took in what was so generously displayed to him – the lean, muscled body, the broad shoulders and angular hips, the smooth skin that covered the expanse of that amazing physique –

"…bathroom."

The artist tore his eyes away to look at the brunet's face, which was, like his body, extremely appealing when cleaned up.

Smooth pale caramel skin, his facial proportions the epitome of perfection, with smoldering eyes framed by ridiculously long lashes. His eyes were the same deep red he remembered, and the brown of the hair that crowned his beautiful head was a brilliant shade of chocolate.

"What?"

The vampire flashed him an understanding smile.

"I said, 'I hope you don't mind me helping myself to your bathroom.' And that I need a towel."

"Oh." Zero sat up straight, getting up and hurrying to the cupboard where he put all his clean laundry to fetch a towel and a set of clean clothes.

He awkwardly handed Kaname the towel and clothing, having the decency now to avert his eyes. Their hands brushed, and Zero nearly jerked back as if burnt but controlled himself – this man, although walking around naked in his house like he owned the place like it was completely normal, had saved his life. The least he could do was serve as a good host.

"D-do you need anything else?"

The Vampire had started drying himself wordlessly, but at Zero's question paused to shoot him a long and meaningful look.

The towel hit the floor soundlessly, and in seconds, Zero found himself pinned to the nearest wall with the Vampire's face just inches away from his own.

"I'm glad you asked, Kiryuu."

A cool hand touched his cheek, trailing down sensuously to lightly caress his collarbone, sending shivers down his spine.

"_I would love to have a taste of what those Level Es were after..._"

The brunet's lips were at his ear, but Zero couldn't find the strength to push the taller man away from him. All his mental strength went to trying not to stare at awkward places.

"…_preferably as my first meal in a very long time._"

Zero held his breath, finding himself unable to do much but close his eyes.

The lips that touched the side of his neck was cold.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry that it took so long... OTL But I rewrote the chapter because I felt it wasn't good enough. I hope this course is better compared to the one that I first started with. QAQ Please forgive meeeee. *shot* I apologise for any and all mistakes that are in the chapter! Thank you all so much for your patience and kind reviews! They really keep me going. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. OTL *dies* Also, the next chapter will explain quite a few things that have happened in this one, so please be patient with me! TTATT


	5. Chapter 5

The Locked House

5

_A cool hand touched his cheek, trailing down sensuously to lightly caress his collarbone, sending shivers down his spine._

_"I would love to have a taste of what those Level Es were after..."_

_The brunet's lips were at his ear, but Zero couldn't find the strength to push the taller man away from him. All his mental strength went to trying not to stare at awkward places._

_"…preferably as my first meal in a very long time."_

_Zero held his breath, finding himself unable to do much but close his eyes._

_The lips that touched the side of his neck was cold._

* * *

Zero froze, he could feel is heart thumping against the inside of his chest as he braced himself for being naive enough to trust the Vampire.  
It was stupid of him to believe that someone that his family had imprisoned would be willing to uphold anything that resembled a deal with him!

He didn't realize when he closed his eyes and turned his face away from the man towering over him; his whole body was tense, preparing himself to be some bloodsucker's beverage.

But nothing happened, and soft laughter reached his ears.

"There's no need to fear me, Kiryuu Zero."  
Zero's fair lashes fluttered open slowly, as if still unsure of the absence of danger, and held his breath when he was greeted head-on with a close up of that terrifyingly handsome face.

It was impossible not to appreciate the angles of that face - that elegant nose, smoldering, half-lidded eyes framed by dark chocolate lashes, milky caramel complexion, lips though still chapped, looked absolutely alluring, and when all those elements came together, framed by wavy chestnut locks, Zero was having trouble believing that he was looking at a real human being.

Or something that resembled one.

He then remembered that he was holding his breath, and felt light headed as he tried to get his raging pulse under control.  
The taller man did not pull away, instead leaning closer, his nose brushing against Zero's, that sly smirk on his perfect face.

The artist quietly continued to study the Vampire, and wondered how such a face could exist, despite looking so tired and worn, it was beautiful, and he itched to put it down on paper.  
A gentle chuckle reached his ears.

"_You seem to have gotten attached to my face, Kiryuu Zero._"

The fair-haired man jumped, jerking away from the wall and away from the brunet, he stuttered as he mentally berated himself for being so obvious.  
He turned, his face feeling hot, and he cursed the artist within him as he watched the Vampire watch him from his comfortable position against the wall, wine red eyes regarding him with blatant amusement.

"I'm_ still_ in need of clothes, Kiryuu-kun."

Zero started, before inching his way to his cupboard, keeping cautious eyes on the Vampire, his back against the wall.

* * *

"_So_,"  
The Vampire began, leaning forward onto the table, a smug look on his beautiful face. He was now clad in Zero's spare clothing - a smart black t-shirt and cargo pants, and the Sasuke bedroom slippers his American friend had gifted him on one of his birthdays.

Zero leaned back in his chair across the brunet, just a little bit intimidated, which was silly, because _he was only an ancient vampire wearing his old t-shirt and Anime bedroom slippers, wasn't he_?

The amusement in the Vampire's eyes wasn't lost on him.  
"What do you want to know first?"  
Zero gave himself a moment to think about it. He had a lot of questions that he needed answering, but he didn't know where to start.  
"Well, I guess you can start with the thing about Vampires then."  
The brunet didn't show any visible reaction, but kept his gaze on the artist for a while, keeping silent.  
The Vampire's gaze was making him uncomfortable, and Zero was about to ask him what he was going on about when the brunet spoke.

"What_ about_ Vampires?"

Zero pondered again for a moment.  
"Who and what are you? Where did you come from? How come the world doesn't know about you?"  
The brunet continued to stare with that unwavering gaze.

"My name is Kuran Kaname. I am a Pureblood Vampire. My birthplace is in Japan, but if you're talking about the origin of my species I'm afraid there are a great many versions of how we came to be, but most of them involving a lot of grief and bloodshed. The world _does_ know about us, but chooses to romanticise us, though partially I believe it to be the fault of individuals who are charmed by our physical appearances, and also because neither the Hunter Association nor Vampire Senate has bothered to correct these disillusioned fools."

The Vampire paused, judging Zero's confused reaction before continuing.

"The Hunter Association and Vampire Senate have been in operation for almost as long as my kind has existed. You can see them as the respective governments of our respective races. They work together to maintain peaceful coexistence."  
Zero nodded, pleasantly noting that the Vampire was being very helpful and thorough in his explanation so far.

He still didn't like the way he looked at him though.

Kaname continued, shifting his weight so he was more comfortable.  
"Now it's time for you to answer some of my questions."  
Zero tensed a bit, and the room fell silent for a moment as they regarded each other quietly. The Vampire broke the tense peace of the room, his smug smile dropping to reveal an emotionless mask.

"_Who are you_?"

The artist's heart quickened. A deaf man could hear the threat laced in the brunet's quiet tone.  
"I-I'm Kiryuu Zero. I'm an artist...currently exhibiting at several galleries in the city -"

A fist slammed against the table, making Zero almost jump out of his chair.

"That's _not_ what I want to know, Kiryuu-kun."  
Kaname leaned forward, rising from his chair, almost brushing noses with the younger man. Zero steeled himself and looked defiantly back.

"What I want to know is why you _don't know anything about me_, despite living _here_, despite _obviously being a member of the clan that put me in this ridiculous predicament in the first place_!"

Zero was in stunned silence as Kaname collected himself after his small outburst. The brunet watched him expectantly, and Zero tried to think of what to say.

"I was separated from my brother when I twelve, and raised by a family friend in the States. My brother remained in Japan. He had always been more interested in the family business than I was anyway. We were 10 when he told me to stay out of the family business, that he would handle everything and I would only slow him down. So I let him." Zero bit back a grimace. He regretted leaving, regretted allowing Ichiru to protect him from this.

Kaname listened quietly, his wine red eyes thoughtful.

"Your brother and yourself - were either of you born weaker than the other? Physically weaker?"  
Zero looked up surprised, but nodded.

"Ichiru was always sick. But what does this have to do with anything?"

Kaname remained silent, his gaze trained on Zero.

"Hunter twins are rare. Normally the stronger brother continues the bloodline, but they allowed you to live without this burden."  
The Vampire's gaze seemed to pierce through his entire being, and Zero couldn't help but unconsciously bring a hand up to his chest to steady s breathing.

"Where is your brother?"  
Zero tensed visibly, his gaze lowering.  
"...he's gone. He passed on slightly before I moved in."  
Kaname watched him sympathetically.  
"Your brother must have loved you very much." Kaname's eyes softened, and a small smile graced his lips.  
Zero felt warmth fill his chest, and he nodded.  
"He did."

A pained reflection of Kaname's smile found its way on Zero's lips, and Kaname gave in to the inclination to lean over and touch the young man's shoulder.

"Can you tell me what the situation was before you moved in?"  
The artist gave the question some thought, before acceding.  
"My brother lived here with the caretaker, an old family friend. Well, instead of caretaker, he's more of a freeloader." Zero made a face.  
"A freeloader?"  
The fair-haired man nodded, feeling slightly more relaxed as they conversed.  
"He's a man named Kaien Cross-"

Kaname jerked forward, grabbing Zero's hand that was on the table tightly, his wine red eyes shining with an emotion Zero couldn't quite place.

"Kaien Cross! Is he still here?"

The fair-haired man shrugged.

"He drops by from time to time, and sometimes stays over for a few days."  
"I would like to speak with him."

Zero was undoubtedly confused at the brunet's sudden excitement, but nodded, and took out his phone, a sleek black device that had Kaname staring in half concealed wonder.  
The artist couldn't help chuckling and holding out his phone, showing Kaname it's lighted flat screen and sharp images.  
"This is my phone."  
Kaname watched him quietly, resisting the childish urge to reach out and touch the device. Zero tried his best not to laugh.

"I'll call Cross now."

* * *

Cross sounded extremely alarmed on the phone, and had exchanged words with Kaname on the line, before declaring that he would be on his way down as soon as he could.  
Which led to Zero sitting next to Kaname on the couch, with him watching television, while trying not to get distracted by Kaname's 'exploration' of his phone.

"So you can watch _television_ on this tiny thing?"

Zero nodded distractedly, as Kaname continued to poke at almost every application on his device.

"This is..." Kaname began, now settling for just swiping his finger along his home pages in childish persistence, "...absolutely_ amazing_!" The brunet then put the phone next to him gently, before turning his attention on the large television and the HD images reflected on it.

"Colour is normal? This is like a window!" He hissed, getting up to check behind the television.

"Incredible!"

Zero had outright laughed at him then, because although he understood Kaname's circumstances, it was weird to see a young man act like a grandpa in front of technology.  
The brunet turned to glare at him, and Zero mumbled an apology, before getting up and offering the brunet something to drink.

"Would you like some coffee?" He asked, before adding, "…if you drink normal stuff."  
Kaname's look softened, and nodded.

"Yes, that would be great, thank you."

Zero smiled awkwardly, before heading into the kitchen to grab two mugs and start the coffeemaker.

There was silence between them as Zero busied himself in the kitchen and Kaname explored the cabinets in front of the television.

"What are these discs? They don't seem to be sound tracks." Kaname examined a CD, holding it up as Zero peered in from the kitchen.

"It's a CD," Zero explained. Kaname made a face that said that he knew what it was, but not what it contained. "Umm...You put stuff on it, like movies and music and data. You play them back with specific machines."  
Kaname frowned, mumbling something to himself as he put 'Space Jam' back into its case.

Zero returned with two steaming mugs of coffee that smelled absolutely divine, and the fair haired man smiled at the small mess in front of the television.

"You want to watch something?"

As Kaname looked at him Zero could imagine the sparkles in those dark wine red eyes.

* * *

So when Kaien Cross arrived at the Kiryuu residence, Zero and Kaname were doing a good job of blending into the couch as the Cat Bus flew through the night sky on the flat screen TV. Zero was sniffling, and Kaname was just watching the moving images in rapt attention.

"K-Kaname-kun!" The blond dropped his things, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

The brunet's attention finally shifted to the new person in the room, and Zero scrambled to pause the movie.

"Cross," Kaname greeted, his voice quiet and still.  
Kaien looked absolutely heartbroken, and he was almost crying, but nothing prepared the brunet for the crushing hug that he had found himself in half a second later.

"We've searched everywhere for you! Where have you _been_? What have they done to you! I-" The blond stumbled over his words, clumsily releasing the Pureblood and searching for his phone.

"I need to call Takuma-kun and Aidou-kun!"

Zero watched the exchange in confusion, but kept quiet as Kaien hastily dialed some number while pacing the length of his living room. He looked completely on edge.

The brunet had returned to sitting on the couch, a complex expression on his face.

* * *

Kaien was visibly upset.  
Zero had never seen him this angry in all the time he'd known him.

"This can't be true. They would have known better than to do that!" The blond hissed, resuming his pacing.  
Kaname had calmly explained everything to the ex-hunter, and everything up until Zero's involvement in all this was now known to the blond.

"They would not have done this unless they had _no choice_!"

"It still does not alter the fact that I've been locked up for all these years, Cross."

"It doesn't make sense, they _supported_ co-existence!"

"_While they kept me in their cellar_?" Kaname growled, his eyes flashing a dangerous shade of crimson.

Kaien had nothing to say in response, but he obviously did not feel the same way.

"You have to understand, Kaname-kun," Kaien pleaded, his eyes shining with untold emotion. "I _knew_ the Kiryuus. They would never have done something like this unless they had no choice."

The Pureblood scoffed, unintentionally looking in Zero's direction, and at eye contact, his gaze softened.

The loud knocking on the door startled all three of them, and The fair haired man quickly left his position at the counter to open the door.

"Kaname-sama!"

Zero was rudely shoved out of the way by a blond man, who ran into his house without even removing his shoes. Another blond had sheepishly apologized on his companion's behalf, but once his own shoes were off, he had speedily walked into the living room with an icy expression on his face.

The artist followed them after locking the front door again, making a mental note to mop the floor once they leave, and reached the living room to see the first blond kneeling in front of Kaname, with the brunet's hand clasped in his own in some dramatic display of loyalty that Zero thought he would only see in movies. The other blond was kneeling next to the shorter one, both with their heads bowed. It took him another moment to realize that the shorter blond was crying.

"Aidou, Takuma." Kaname whispered, the expression on his face was something Zero had yet to see on those handsome features.  
The man named Aidou choked back a sob.  
"Kaname-sama!" The short blond gasped, and the other blond continued.  
"We thought we had lost you - but we never stopped searching." It was obvious they had so many questions, but they held their tongues.

The Pureblood nodded, withdrawing his hand from Aidou with an elegance that Zero found extremely bewitching.

"What happened in my absence?"

Takuma nodded, immediately beginning his report.

"Rido-sama has risen to power. Yuuki-sama is currently in hiding at Safe House 24. The HA president and Rido-sama have been working together under the guise of co-existence; they have seized the Kuran assets and are manipulating hunters so that Purebloods and Nobles have priority. Most of the Council Elders support Rido-sama in his endeavor. The number of Level Es in the past years have risen considerably. My Lord, your absence has seen a failure to uphold the initial contract with the Hunters. There is unrest, and word of a Hunter rebel faction in operation."

Kaname frowned. The air around him changed as Takuma's report had continued, crackling with his barely contained rage and discontent. Zero didn't dare to move - it was difficult to breathe under the weight of the Pureblood's anger, so he close his eyes and clutched his chest, holding his breath as he hoped that Kaname's tantrum would be end soon. The two noble vampires on the floor tensed visibly, but made no further movement. Kaien frowned at Kaname's reckless use of power, and steeled himself and shouted at the brunet.

"_Kaname, control yourself_!"

The oppressing air lifted almost immediately, and Zero struggled to catch his breath. He heard the soft apology that the Pureblood threw his way, and shook his head slightly to show he didn't mind it.

Kaname's face softened considerably, and he patted the empty space on the couch, which Zero shook his head to and only complied when the brunet patted the space again, a little more aggressively.  
So Zero made his awkward way to sit next to the Pureblood, the two kneeling blonds not daring to look up just yet, which made the artist extremely uncomfortable.

"This is Kiryuu Zero." The brunet began, meeting the fair haired man's gaze, before looking back to the two men in front of them.

Zero was surprised when he was met with two sets of stunning eyes - the coolest green and the sharpest blue.

"_He will aid us in retaking the Senate, and appeasing the Hunters._"

* * *

A/N: Oh dear. I'm really, honestly, sincerely sorry I took so very long to post this update, and the atrocious and inexcusable length of it. *slapped*  
I really appreciate all the reviews and PMs to get me to continue my fics, and I'm so very flattered by the pleasant responses to them! Thank you all so very much for the support! I will do my best to finish all the VK fics I have on hand right now, so please bear with me for a little (or very long) while more. :'D (I'm terribly sorry for the weird formatting as well, it's been a while since I've written anything so it somehow got all funky.)

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review if you'd like (please, please, please!) Thank you for reading!


End file.
